Location: Unknown
The corridor was completely dark.
No lights illuminated the ancient passageway. No signs marked the way forward. Dust covered the floor, while centuries of neglect had left rust crawling across the walls and metal structures.
Yet the Gray Serpent walked through the darkness with absolute confidence.
He did not need a lamp.
He did not need a map.
At every intersection, the correct direction simply appeared in his mind, as though an unseen hand were guiding him deeper into the abandoned facility.
Left.
Then right.
Then straight ahead.
He had never visited this place before.
And yet, somehow, he knew exactly where he was going.
This place was holy.
It was the place where the Sire had once returned to the living world.
But that return had been followed by another sealing.
The Sire had been imprisoned in another dimension, and the Serpents had fallen silent.
The holy site became forgotten.
A secret buried beneath centuries of dust.
Until today.
The day had finally arrived.
His Sire had called to him.
And his duty had finally begun.
The Gray Serpent stopped at the end of the corridor.
A massive metal door stood before him, blocking the passage.
He waited.
For several moments, nothing happened.
Then a verbal command appeared in his mind like a flash of inspiration.
The Gray Serpent raised his head.
Gray Serpent: "Be reborn in destruction".
The ancient door responded.
CREEEEAK…
It slowly opened, overcoming layers of dust and rust that had accumulated over centuries.
Beyond it was a vast hall.
At the far end stood a throne.
And seated upon it was a man.
He sat perfectly still, seemingly lost in silent contemplation.
Centuries had passed.
Powers had risen and fallen.
Kingdoms had vanished.
Battles had raged across the planet.
The world had changed countless times while humanity continued to struggle against the Honkai.
The past had disappeared before most people even noticed.
But the man sitting upon the throne had not changed.
The Gray Serpent had met him before.
He had not changed in the slightest.
His will remained untarnished.
He had transcended time.
Space.
And even the karmic cycle.
He was the last hope against an ageless force of destruction.
The man finally stirred.
His eyes slowly opened.
The Gray Serpent immediately lowered his head.
He trembled.
Those eyes had witnessed things no ordinary human could comprehend.
Unimaginable miracles.
The rise and fall of civilizations.
The agony of countless deaths.
And the complete annihilation of an entire era.
Every memory had been condensed and forged by a superhuman will into two cold, unfeeling orbs.
Gray Serpent: "Forgive your servant for failing to welcome your return in person."
The man on the throne remained silent for a moment.
Then he spoke.
Kevin: "How goes the project?"
The Gray Serpent immediately answered.
Gray Serpent: "We are making progress. This world now has everything we need to activate it."
Gray Serpent: "The Herrscher of Reason may delay you, but he cannot stop the progress of history."
Gray Serpent: "Jackal's research is nearly done. She only needs a final verification."
Kevin's expression remained unchanged.
Kevin: "Let it begin."
The Gray Serpent bowed.
Gray Serpent: "Yes, Sire. I have also recovered something, now offered as a gift to celebrate your return."
He stepped forward.
Gray Serpent: "A weapon of such powers should only be wielded by he who leads humanity to its triumphant future."
The Gray Serpent presented a greatsword with both hands.
The weapon's once-all-consuming flame no longer graced the dull blade.
Yet its familiar shape was unmistakable.
The weapon stirred memories from a distant age.
Kevin had once held this blade while purging the monsters that plagued humanity.
He had carried it into countless battles.
He had eventually raised it against GOD herself.
This was the Cleaver of Shamash.
Kevin stared at it.
For the first time, something resembling nostalgia appeared in his eyes.
Kevin: "We finally meet again, old friend."
His hands closed around the hilt.
He gripped it exactly as he had centuries ago.
The way a warrior grips a weapon before entering battle.
The way he had done thousands of times.
The Soulium weapon suddenly vibrated.
A faint sound echoed through the hall.
VMMMMM…
The weapon responded to the spirit of its wielder.
Its structure began to shift.
The ancient blade transformed.
The Cleaver of Shamash became—
The Might of An-Utu.
The weapon's core erupted with renewed life.
Fire burst from within the blade.
The flame did not merely burn.
It felt alive.
As if something had awakened inside the weapon.
A soul.
A weapon spirit that had been sleeping for centuries.
Ancient witnesses had once mythologised this weapon.
The sword that guarded Eden.
The fire that destroyed Sodom.
Centuries passed.
The myth became real.
Kevin slowly raised the weapon.
Kevin: "We shall fight together again like we used to."
His decree resonated through the hall.
A silent thunder that echoed through the hearts of the faithful.
The Serpent had returned.
And with him came the coming storm.
Outskirts of Arc City — Late Night
Four months had passed since the Great Honkai Eruption.
Arc City had become one of the many places where desperate survivors sought refuge from the hordes of pale beasts and zombies.
More and more civilians crowded into the city.
More and more soldiers were deployed.
But the disaster showed no signs of subsiding.
The outskirts of Arc City remained a battlefield.
Under the moonlit sky, mech patrols fought desperately to hold the perimeter.
Mech Pilot: "Dammit! They're just like roaches! There are just way too many of them!"
A Honkai beast slammed into the defensive line.
BOOM!
Several mechs staggered backward.
Mech Pilot: "We're getting more and more beast incursions… a city-wide martial law has been declared."
Another beast charged.
The mechs opened fire.
Mech Pilot: "All our mechs have been deployed to perimeter defense missions."
Suddenly—
Alarm: "Massive Honkai energy spike detected."
The mech formation immediately went on alert.
The captain raised his weapon.
Mech Captain: "Alright, boys and girls. Brace yourself for the next wave of roaches…"
The wave arrived before he could finish.
ROOOAAAR!
Hundreds of Honkai beasts swarmed the formation.
The mechs opened fire.
Explosions illuminated the darkness.
But there were simply too many.
Mech Pilot:"Dammit! They just keep coming! Can't hold them back any longer!"
Another mech was knocked aside.
Mech Pilot:"It's only a matter of time before they overrun us!"
Mech Captain:"Hold the line!"
Then—
One of the pilots noticed something.
A silhouette stood among the distant ruins.
The figure remained motionless for only a moment.
Then—
It disappeared.
Mech Pilot:"Who's there?!"
A faint cry came from a damaged mech.
Hums and buzzes.
Its power system had been heavily damaged.
The machine could no longer move.
Mech Pilot: "Anyone there? Help!"
Footsteps approached.
A figure emerged from the darkness.
It was a girl.
Kiana Kaslana.
Without hesitation, Kiana charged into the battlefield.
She moved through the Honkai beasts with incredible speed.
Her white Comet battlesuit flashed beneath the moonlight.
Then, when the strain of the Void Drifter began to build, she switched forms.
White.
Then black and violet.
Then white again.
She alternated between her White Comet battlesuit and Void Drifter form, carefully regulating her power to avoid placing too much physical and mental strain on herself.
Inside her mind, a familiar voice guided her.
Fu Hua: "Regulate your breath, and fight how I've taught you."
Kiana steadied herself.
One beast fell.
Then another.
But one of them suddenly slipped behind her.
Its claws rose.
Fu Hua: "Kiana, behind you!"
Kiana turned—
But she was already too late.
Her orange-red crystal necklace suddenly began to glow.
FWOOSH!
A brilliant orange light erupted beside her.
A transparent warrior materialised.
Red-orange armor.
A powerful mechanical silhouette.
The warrior stepped forward.
Kamen Rider Gotchard Daybreak — Fire Gotchard Daybreak Steamhopper.
The Honkai beast lunged.
The Rider's fist struck first.
BOOM!
The beast was obliterated in a single punch.
Kiana blinked.
Then grinned.
She and the transparent warrior moved together.
Kiana attacked from one direction.
Fire Gotchard Daybreak attacked from the other.
The Honkai beasts barely had time to react.
One after another, they fell.
Within moments, the battlefield had become eerily quiet.
The remaining mechs stared in disbelief.
Mech Pilot: "Did you see it? That little girl…"
The captain watched Kiana standing among the remains of the Honkai beasts.
Mech Captain: "She took down a Honkai beast in less than 30 seconds…"
He swallowed.
Mech Captain: "Is she a monster… no, a superhuman?! Like those you can only see in manga!"
Another pilot looked toward the orange warrior.
Mech Pilot: "Forget about her, what about cool looking armor guy who took down a Honkai beast in one punch ? He look like one of those live action armor superheroes you see in a children's sunday morning show where they fight the monster of the week."
Kiana switched back into her White Comet battlesuit.
She looked around.
No more enemies.
Kiana: "…All clear."
Fu Hua's voice immediately followed.
Fu Hua: "We must leave now. We can't have too many witnesses of your presence."
Kiana sighed.
Kiana: "Alright, alright…"
She turned toward the transparent warrior.
Fire Gotchard Daybreak Steamhopper understood immediately.
The Rider approached and swiftly carried Kiana away from the battlefield.
The orange light faded into the darkness.
The battle had ended before the surviving mechs could acquire a clear visual of Kiana's face.
All they could remember was a moonlit shadow.
A mysterious girl.
And a strange armored warrior who had appeared from nowhere.
By the time they looked again—
she was gone.
But two individuals had witnessed everything.
From the cover of darkness, two holographic figures observed the entire battle through a holographic screen.
Jackal narrowed her eyes.
Jackal: "Gray Serpent's intel tells me that she actually stayed in Arc City."
Raven remained silent for a moment.
Raven: "K423 would frequent the sites of Honkai beast incursions. I fear she might interfere with our experiment."
Jackal's expression hardened.
Jackal: "…A pest. We have no time for her. Our Sire has returned from the Sea of Quanta and gave us orders to begin."
She turned toward the holographic data.
Jackal: "Focus on ending the Schicksal raids. Their agents are in Shenzhou. Don't let them get in our way."
Raven smiled faintly.
Raven: "I have an idea."
She looked toward Jackal.
Raven: "Since Schicksal is interested in the whereabouts of K423, we can have their agents go after her instead."
Jackal's expression changed.
Jackal: "Good. And I have prepared a gift in case we're forced to fight them. They'll be pleasantly surprised."
The holographic screen went dark.
Floating Isles — Schicksal HQ
Elsewhere, far from Arc City, Schicksal headquarters remained busy.
Rita stood before a holographic projection of Otto.
The Overseer's expression was calm.
Rita: "Overseer Otto, we have analysed the intel retrieved from the Ningyo in Arc City."
She brought up the recovered data.
Rita: "Though we lack crucial data for locating K423, the data revealed that she has stayed in that city."
Rita's eyes narrowed slightly.
Rita: "And the existence of such data means that the World Serpent has been observing K423 as well."
Otto leaned back.
Otto: "…Interesting. I wonder what this snake is up to."
He paused.
Otto: "Rita, head back to Arc City. Track down and locate K423."
Rita's expression remained composed.
Rita: "But given the current situation, such a mission might alert them to our motives."
Otto smiled.
Otto: "There's no need for such concerns. You'll be acting as an official inspector of our business friends."
A series of files appeared on the holographic display.
Otto: "We have partners with many major multinationals in different industrial sectors."
Otto: "One of them is Heliopolis Life Sciences. They offer free medical services to cities affected by the Honkai."
Otto: "For the past 5 months, we've been supplying them with Honkai vaccines via their Shenzhou base in Arc City."
He looked directly at Rita.
Otto: "In this mission, you'll be serving as my proxy and oversee a medical supply shipment to that place."
Otto: "Having access to Heliopolis medical records and channels will make your search easier."
Rita nodded.
Rita: "Understood."
En Route to Arc City — Schicksal Shuttle EOSSeveral Hours Later
The shuttle approached its destination.
Beyond the observation windows, Arc City slowly emerged through the clouds.
SYSTEM: "Auto-pilot deactivated. Initiating landing procedures."
Rita sat calmly inside the shuttle.
A holographic projection appeared beside her.
It was Alvitr, a Valkyrie and technician of the Immortal Blades Squad.
Her long grayish-purple hair was tied into a ponytail, while her red eyes remained focused on the incoming data.
Alvitr: "Adjutant Rita, reception from Heliopolis is hailing us."
Rita stood.
Rita: "Tell the crew to stand by. I'll return once I complete the inspections."
Alvitr: "Roger."
Alvitr's hologram disappeared.
It was replaced by another holographic screen.
A shadowed silhouette of a woman appeared.
Cioara: "Welcome, Miss Rossweisse. I'm Cioara, a consultant based in the Shenzhou branch of Heliopolis."
The silhouette leaned slightly closer.
Cioara: "I'll be your official guide for the duration of your visit."
Heliopolis Life Sciences — Arc City Branch
The Schicksal shuttle eventually descended toward the biomedical park.
Cioara stood outside, watching the shuttle land.
Her expression was ominous.
She had short black hair with an ahoge and striking magenta eyes. A small mole rested beneath her mouth.
A black bodysuit covered her figure, complemented by three finger claws on her right hand and a black cape with a magenta interior.
The shuttle touched down.
THOOM.
Rita stepped out.
She looked around at the massive complex.
Rita: "The scale of operations here is quite impressive."
She glanced toward the loading area.
Rita: "The handover is taking a while. Could you please show me around?"
Cioara smiled.
Cioara: "Sure. Please follow me."
They began walking through the facility.
Cioara: "After the Second Eruption ended, Heliopolis has been offering free medical aid…"
She gestured toward the enormous medical facilities.
Cioara: "…To people affected by the Honkai Eruption all over the world."
Cioara: "In order to be able to transport drugs in time, Heliopolis decided to build biomedical parks in major cities for pharmaceutical manufacturing."
They continued deeper into the complex.
Cioara: "Though this park is located on the outskirts of Arc City, it's still much more convenient than shipping drugs from outside this land."
Rita examined the architecture.
Rita: "The buildings here remind me of ancient Egypt."
Cioara gave a small shrug.
Cioara: "Hmm… just a preference of our boss."
Rita pointed toward the massive pyramid-shaped structure dominating the complex.
Rita: "The pyramid over there is…"
Cioara: "It's the administration tower."
Rita smiled.
Rita: "Very stylish."
They continued walking.
Cioara: "Drugs manufactured here are shipped not only to Arc City, but also to other areas of Shenzhou."
Rita nodded.
Rita: "It really is a great cause that Heliopolis is contributing to."
Cioara glanced at her.
Cioara: "We couldn't have done that without Schicksal's help. You've provided all the raw materials for us and made everything possible."
Rita stopped walking.
Her smile remained polite.
But her eyes became sharper.
Rita: "I think we've covered everything about the handover."
Cioara turned toward her.
Rita's expression became more serious.
Rita: "Now let's get down to business."
She folded her hands.
Rita: "The purpose of this visit is to secure support from Heliopolis."
Rita: "Given your ties with the city's public health system, may I access the Honkai-related health records of the past 5 months?"
Cioara's smile faded slightly.
Cioara: "Grant you access to private medical information? I'm afraid…"
Rita remained perfectly composed.
Rita: "This will only benefit Arc City. We know this place is under martial law due to Honkai beast attacks."
Her gaze remained fixed on Cioara.
Rita: "Sometimes, we may need to circumvent a few rules to better protect the people."
Rita: "Prevention is better than the cure. Finding the root causes of these events will protect the people and save lives."
Cioara stared at Rita for several seconds.
Then she smiled again.
Cioara: "…I see. I will acquire the data you've requested."
She stepped closer.
Her voice lowered.
Cioara: "But try to be careful, Miss Rossweisse. This city is not as safe as it once was."
Rita gave a polite nod.
Rita: "Thank you. I will keep your advice in mind."
Cioara looked toward the city beyond the facility.
Then she spoke casually.
Cioara: "Speaking of protection… Many claimed that a lone ranger and many armored warriors saved them from the attacks. One of yours, perhaps?"
Rita's eyes narrowed slightly.
Rita: "…A lone ranger?...Armored warriors ?"
Cioara smiled.
Cioara: "No one saw her face, same for the armored warriors. Some even think that the armored Warriors are the same person.No one saw how they arrived or how they left. Perhaps they're just… an urban legend."
She glanced back at Rita.
Cioara: "People would rather fantasise about superheroes instead of trying to save themselves."
Rita looked toward the distant city.
For a moment, her expression softened.
Then she smiled with genuine sincerity.
Rita: "Indeed. But I'm willing to believe in this hero. I want to believe she exists."